Editor's note: Travail, the critically acclaimed gastropub in Robbinsdale, will reopen sometime next month in a new building, down the block from its old site, which now contains Pig Ate My Pizza.

Age: 28

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? A football player.

What's your first food memory? My grandpa made pancakes that were different colors, and my mom's great-grandmother serve us smothered bean burritos with cheese at her restaurant. Both of those foods are still favorites of mine.

What was your first job in food? When I was 14, I worked at Taco John's.

How did you wind up in the restaurant business for good? I studied studio arts at Winona State for a few years, and I was on the football team there -- I was a defensive and offensive lineman. Then I studied to be a cook. It fits my personality and lifestyle. To me it's almost athletic, the combination of the dedication, physical wear and tear. But it also takes mindfulness and creativity.

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What's the story behind Travail? We wanted to create a restaurant that was all about the kitchen. We wanted to have everything open, cutting out anything that would hinder making the best food possible. The better the food, the better the experience for you, the customer. We wanted you to be wowed and to be pushed outside your boundaries. We wanted you to experience amazing dishes that you wouldn't find anywhere else except at some fine-dining restaurant in New York. Travail is us trying to give that experience to everybody, not just the upper echelon. There are no reservations, and our prices are moderate.

We worked hard and kept asking ourselves, "How do we get the food to the next level?" Business grew and grew, and after three years, we had to decide whether we were going to expand. We needed more space, more cooks, more everything. But what happened, and this is a beautiful thing, is that Travail shrank, from 50 to 45 seats, and we have a whole other restaurant concept with the Rookery, a cocktail and small plates restaurant that has 52 seats, so there are about 100 seats altogether.

How would you describe your style of cooking? Progressive. We always have to find what's new.

What's something few people know about you? I'm married. I don't wear a wedding ring because I kept losing it. One time, I baked it off in a pate. I started portioning the pate and found my ring in the last portion. It smelled like garlic for, like, two weeks.

What's your favorite restaurant on your day off? It's a tie between Piccolo and Tilia (both in Minneapolis). Brunch at Tilia is amazing. I respect Steven Brown, Tilia owner/chef, and what he has done. He opened his own place when he was 48 or so. Piccolo is all about craftsmanship. It's Doug Flicker's take on what it means to be a chef, to dedicate your life to something that's great. It's him, it's his playfulness, his precision.

If someone were to play you in a movie, who should it be? Jack Black, because he's awesome.